CMS Moves Toward Greater Transparency

CMS: 8/6/13

Historically, information on charges and costs for health care services has not been available to the public. Receiving a bill at the end of a treatment was generally the only way a person could find out the cost of health care services. CMS is working to usher in a new era of transparency and is very pleased to announce its next steps to create a more transparent health care system.

Today, CMS is releasing a request for public comment regarding physician-specific payment information. On May 31, 2013, a Florida federal district court lifted a 1979 permanent injunction that prohibited CMS from disclosing annual Medicare reimbursement payments to individual physicians. In light of this recent legal development and our ongoing commitment to greater transparency in the health care system, CMS seeks public input on the best way to move forward. Read more